Scuba divers oftentimes need to mark a particular underwater location to which the diver wishes to return or to mark the location for other divers. A common underwater marker used to this end comprises a metal (e.g., lead) weight of some type and a string attached at one end to the lead weight and to a plastic bottle at the other end. The lead weight is placed at the underwater location to be marked. The plastic bottle connected to the weight by the string floats on the surface of the water to provide a visible marker of the location.
The marker described above is quite bulky and awkward to stow on the dive boat as a result of the components used. Moreover, the marker is quite bulky and awkward for the diver to carry underwater. As a result, the marker oftentimes is thrown overboard from the dive boat at the location to be marked rather than being carried with the diver as the diver traverses the sea, lake or river bottom.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved underwater marker device that is compact in configuration and readily stowable on a boat and on a diver (or other user such as a fisherman) to facilitate marking of an underwater location.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved underwater marker device that is readily deployed for use at the underwater location to be marked and is readily returned to compact configuration after use for stowage on a boat or on a diver for reuse in marking another underwater location.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved inflatable marker balloon/valve assembly for use in an underwater marker device wherein the assembly permits underwater inflation of the marker balloon by a diver and deflation of the marker balloon by the diver.